Related Articles

After the age of 4 to 6 months, many parents wish to begin introducing juices into their babies' diets. Although juice is not required as part of a healthy diet, it is acceptable to offer juice in moderation. Some juices, however, are higher in sugar and calories than others. It is advisable to offer low-sugar juices to children of all ages, including babies.

Proper Nutrition

From birth to age 1, the primary source of nutrition for an infant should be human breast milk. Breast milk has the exact nutritional profile that your baby needs, including some living substances that help your baby build immunity to germs and organisms around him. If breast milk is not available, infant formula will produce adequate growth. Any other food or beverage that is introduced into a baby's diet should only complement, not replace, human breast milk or formula. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting until your baby is at least 4 months of age to add any food or beverage to his diet. Introducing juice too early can interfere with a baby's proper nutrition by replacing the most needed food, breast milk or formula. Many parents choose to wait even longer before introducing juice, if at all.

Effects of Juice

Juice, although made from fruit, does not provide all of the nutrition that whole fruit does. Juice is typically stripped of fiber, which, according to the American Diabetes Association, "contributes to digestive health, helps to keep you regular and helps to make you feel full and satisfied after eating." Without the fiber found in the whole fruit, your baby is consuming the calories of the beverages but without the benefit of satiation. For this reason, juice should be limited to around 4 ounces or less per day. Also, according to the National Institutes of Health, juice should never be given in a bottle, as it can lead to tooth decay.

Lowest Sugar Juices

When deciding which juice to give your child, choose to give juices with no added sugars or artificial sweeteners. Unless the package displays the claim "100 percent fruit juice" on its label, it is likely not so. Most varieties of 100 percent fruit juice range from about 20 to 35 grams of sugar per cup. Orange juice, white grapefruit juice, pineapple juice and apple juice all have less than 25 grams of sugar per cup. Grape juice and cranberry have 35 and 30 grams of sugar, respectively. Choose to give the lower sugar juices more often than the higher sugar options.

Making Juices Healthier

To further improve the beverage, you may choose to dilute the juice with water to decrease the amount of sugar you are giving your child. Some juices marketed directly to infants and toddlers will have already diluted the juice, but you will get more product for your money if you choose to dilute it yourself.

About the Author

Elizabeth Donahue is a clinical dietitian in a pediatric special-needs clinic. She is a registered dietitian with the American Dietetic Association, a licensed nutritionist with the State of Florida and has been certified as a breastfeeding specialist by Lactation Education Resources. Donahue holds a Bachelor of Science in dietetics and nutrition from Florida International University.